Somewhere Over the Rainbow
by CaramelCamel
Summary: Falling off the roof was essentially falling over the rainbow. Rated T for swearing and a bit of freedom ovo
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Hello guys, this is my first PROPER fic here. Sorry for the many mistakes 0n0 I'm Contemplating continuing this on Wattpad since I find it much easier to use.**

Ezio Auditore, the only individual who had to be in a city less than half an hour before he was notorious as heck. It was a foolish thought; Venice would not be a ''new beginning.'' What Ezio considered a new beginning would be a world where he wasn't an assassin, or anything remotely similar. But to even think like that, was somehow childish in its own way.

Sighing heavily, he traversed the slippery rooftops of Venice. It had been raining on and off for the past hour or so, to the assassin's dismay. Ezio paused for a brief moment, allowing his eyes to follow the clumps of houses to the very edge of the city, where the canals flowed into the grey ocean.

Ezio had seen the golden sun rise many times over the rooftops of Firenze, but it seemed only to set through the constant mist that enveloped Venezia. A shame really, little Petruccio would have killed to see the so called ''Venetian sunrise.''

Ezio turned swiftly on his heels as the memory of the young boy resurfaced. It was painful to think about, too painful, even for the audacious youngster who threw knives and impaled Templars with spears.

He gulped and continued aimlessly through the city, feeling his mind begin to reel. It was no use, he could try, but he would never forget.

Evening came in like a hurricane, blowing everyone into the confines of their warm homes and Ezio almost off the water-logged roof. He had no idea of the last time he had made contact with solid ground. Then again, why did he have too? It was so much safer up here, though the guards did tend to possess sharper eyes and sharper weapons.

Even in the pouring rain, Ezio could catch the blood-red glow of guards from a mile away. The guards, it seemed appeared to be the only living creatures out, apart from him.

Slowly, carefully, he hopped onto a nearby ledge, letting out a yelp of surprise as his boot slid right off the tiles. Luckily, he had enough of his body on the building to not slide right off and break a leg or something. He did, however land face first into a growing puddle of water that had been building up on a flat area of the roof.

Pushing himself up languidly, he sat drenched in rainwater with his arms outstretched behind him and let out a frustrated groan. His nose ached from the impact and his hair was uncomfortably soaked.

Who would have thought a once-nobleman would have to endure such ordeals.

If his father had lived, Ezio was sure he'd be at the mahogany table, playing chess with Federico whilst Petruccio flipped through books in bed and mother and Claudia sewed by the fireplace. He was used to it like that, or had been; years had passed since his family's death, but time itself was not nearly enough to fill the illimitable hole in his heart. Hoping that somehow the rain would wash away his worries, he allowed his elbows to slide flat on the roof and found himself staring into the grey expanse of clouds and rain. It was almost as if the raindrops fell from a particular, circular opening in sky, or so it seemed from the assassins view.

Rain had always been a burden; something any assassin should despise. And true to that, Ezio did despise it. But it was different now, as he lay on the sopping tiles, raindrops gently hammering against his face. Something about the mellow _plop _of each droplet calmed him immensely and he felt his muscles relax and his mind go almost blank. Almost.

He hadn't done this in a while.

Just lie in the rain and let it wash away everything that had ever mattered.

All of a sudden, Venezia didn't seem all so terrible. It seemed…. It seemed _pure._ Pure like Ezio hadn't ever felt before the deaths of his brothers and father. Turning his head to the side, he noticed for the first time the spiralling architecture of the place, the serene canals that ran through the city, the desolate streets littered with small market stalls and billowy trees –he could live with it- and Leonardo; he was here too. The good thing about Leonardo was that he was always here, more or less. With his peppy grin and welcoming eyes and-

''**tirarlo!**''

Ezio jumped at the voice, his heart momentarily bumping into his chest.

_That is what you get for daydreaming _He hissed mentally. One of the most important rules of being an assassin: don't let your guard down – and he had just broken it.

He was on his feet in an instant, surprised at the black dots that permeated his vision. Before they had vanished completely, he found himself bounding across the rooftops like a deer. The guard continued to shout behind him and the sound of footsteps in pursuit told Ezio he was giving chase. It also told him the guard would be too busy running and trying to keep his balance that he probably wouldn't be able to shoot with the dreaded bow and arrows at the same time.

So the arrow that flew a centimetre past his face came as a shock and he tripped backwards, eyes wide. What was _with_ this guard? He had fantastic aim _as well_ as speed?

''**tornare, bastardo!**'' the guard yelled, furious.

''Not with you chasing me!'' Ezio shouted back. A quick scan of the city told him he would arrive at the outer wall very soon and that would be very, _very_ bad. He had to make a diversion, he _needed_ to. He couldn't swim whilst the guard was tailing him, nor did he suppose he had time to the descend the building. In which case where would he _go_? The assassin breathed out a puff of warm air and leapt across an alleyway, glancing warily at the dancing droplets of water along the roofs. Maybe if he just continued, the guard would eventually tire himself out. The footsteps were still loud and determined in the puddles behind him, but at least there were no more arrows.

''_**Stop!**_''

And finally, the assassin did, grinding to a halt. His boots slid unceremoniously on the tiles as he spun around to face his opponent. The next few moments were crucial, a game of quickness; who could unleash their weapons first?

The guard had an advantage, bow and arrows already at the ready, but the time it took to load an arrow was just enough time for Ezio to slide a glinting knife from the tough pouch that sat on his hip.

As soon as it had been removed, the knife was soaring through the air, heading directly towards the guard. He couldn't of expected it to hit, which was why as the guard swiftly dodged and slipped another arrow out from the basket on his back, Ezio wasted no time in removing another knife.

This one hit, just as the arrow was fired. The dodgy aim of the dying guard meant the arrow only grazed Ezio's arm, not nearly enough to kill him but enough for a scar to be left. He grimaced as it sliced through his skin, though it was quickly replaced by a smirk as he watched the guard, who's face had been cleaved by the knife fall dead on the roof. _Perfect hit _he thought to himself.

Ezio had felt shocked many times in his life, though on none of those occasions had the feeling ever been so prominent. The assassin had just twirled around to continue his journey, preferably as far from the scene of murder as quickly as possible when his eyes caught something red. Blood red.

Salvatore Mergano had been good friends with his fellow comrade, Gian. The young boy had been highly skilled. A breathtakingly fast runner and a master at archery. He had expected more to be made of his talent, seeing as he excelled during training. Unfortunately, the cross-bearing leader –the real master- saw no extra talent in the youngster and he had been made a common guard, a rank anyone who was recruited was able to achieve. Salvatore had spoken with him a week prior, expressing his disappointment at the young man receiving such a shallow reward for his hard work and skill, but Gian had simply brushed it off, smiled, and offered to buy them both some lunch.

Gian had been without parents for as long as he could remember, so he had said, and he knew not where they had gone or what had happened to them. He missed them though, that much was obvious. Salvatore had often wanted to ask him why he could possibly miss them if ''he had been without them for as long as he could remember.'' But he had asked too many questions already that week and felt it would be rude to add to the already bursting number.

Gian was very open though, not seeming to mind any question that was thrown his way. Everyone liked him, Salvatore in particular.

Which was why when he caught sight of the young man collapsing lifelessly on the dripping roof that excruciatingly cold day, he practically exploded.

''_**Assassino!**_'' He roared, loud enough to bring civilians scrambling out of their houses and into the pouring rain. '_**'Assassino!**_''

Ezio's eyes shot up towards where the enraged guard stood. The man held a sturdy bow in his hands, arrow poised, about to be released any millisecond. Ezio darted away, as soon as his eyes registered the weapon. There was no time to spare; reaching down into his boot he slipped another knife out. His heart thumped so loudly he couldn't even hear his own footfalls. He was never _this_ anxious during a chase, or hadn't been for a long time at the very least. But something else had snagged his attention, apart from the hollers of the tumultuous guard.

His footsteps in the puddles where not the only ones, nor the guard, who was sure to be _one_ of them.

_There were too many footsteps_

''_**Get back here Bastardo!''**_

''_**You will regret this!''**_

''_**Get him!''**_

Too many voices.

Ezio gritted his teeth as he flew over buildings, the wind whipping his damp hair in every possible direction. Finally, he risked a glance over his shoulder.

_Oh_

_Oh Dio Mio_

The sheer amount of men in pursuit caught Ezio in trance for a few fatal, moments. Last time he had checked, there had been one guard. Now there were…

_He couldn't count_

_He couldn't stand here dawdling._

''_**Fire!**_''

Ezio's breath hitched as he slowly snapped back to reality and he spun around on his heels and-

A searing pain flared in his left thigh, as if he'd been struck by lighting. For a few seconds, the world appeared to go dim, as if he had already begun to succumb to the wound. The taunts and shouts of the guards behind him grew quiet, and as quickly as it came, it disappeared. The assassin hissed in pain, but continued to run. It was the only thing he could do, when his blood was dying the pools of water red and he felt as if he might as well not _have_ a leg.

The slowed pace of assassin seemed to spur the guards on. He seemed so vulnerable, it was _perfect_. Any one of them could have struck, lunged at him with a sword or dagger or fired an arrow. They were almost certain the notorious Ezio Auditore who had caused so much disarray in Venezia would be gone once and for all. Salvatore knew better, bringing the assassin to the Templars would surely gain him a grander prize and maybe after a few days of torture, he could lodge a knife into his face like he had done to poor Gian.

Anything was possible,

That was, if the assassin had not fallen off the roof.


	2. NOTICE

Hey guys! So for some reason, I'm finding pretty difficult to use, so I'll be posting on Wattpad from now on! Three chapters have already been posted there

My page is here: user/Pallosty

Thanks! And sorry for any inconvenience.


End file.
